Parshat Vaera

2,883 related texts · Page 306 of 321

God reveals His name to Moses, the first seven plagues strike Egypt, and Pharaoh's heart is hardened. Exodus 6:2-9:35.

Saul and David of Israelites

Midrash Rabbah Devarim Rabbah 5:11

Jewish tradition explores this feeling on a national scale, focusing on the ancient Israelites' request for a human king. Imagine this: God, the ultimate King, has been leading the...

King DavidElijahTempleProphecy

Giving of the Torah

Midrash Rabbah Devarim Rabbah 9:5

We often think of death as the great leveler, the fate that awaits us all. But Jewish tradition suggests that for some, like Moses, the end is… different. Special. : Moses, the man...

HeavenMoses

Abraham and the Origins of the World

Midrash Rabbah Devarim Rabbah 11:1

Maybe you stumble over your words during a presentation, or completely blank on someone's name. Imagine the pressure, then, of leading a congregation in prayer and making a mistake...

CreationNoah & FloodPatriarchsMoses

Giving of the Torah and Behold

Midrash Rabbah Devarim Rabbah 11:8

Let's delve into a poignant moment from Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Deuteronomy, that sheds light on this very question. Imagine Moses, ...

MosesKing DavidSolomonProphecy

Teachings of Rabbi Akiva

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 4:4

We look back with nostalgia, imagining that the giants of the past held all the answers. But Jewish tradition challenges that very notion. The idea that each generation has its own...

MosesKing DavidSolomonTemple

Avimelekh: Abraham at the Dawn of Creation

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 26:1

"For to the man who is good before Him, He gave wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner He gave the task to gather and to amass, to give to one who is good before God. This, ...

CreationPatriarchsJosephSolomon

Caleb and the Dreamer

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 8:2

A time for everything, as the saying goes. But what does that really mean? Well, one fascinating interpretation comes to us from Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin, found within Kohelet Rab...

JosephKing DavidSolomonProphecy

Wages of Sin and Solomon

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 9:1

The book of Ecclesiastes, or Kohelet as it's known in Hebrew, wrestles with that very idea. It's a book of wisdom, attributed to King Solomon, but some of its verses have sparked d...

Hell/GehennaMosesSolomonTorah

Rabbi Eliezer and the Lawgiver

Midrash Rabbah Kohelet Rabbah 11:1

It all starts with a verse from Ecclesiastes (12:11): "The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails well fastened are the collectors of wisdom; they are given from one shep...

MosesKing DavidSolomonTorah